Attachment for stringed instruments



A. CHERNIAVSKY. ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED HAY24.1920.

1,394,407. Patented Oct. 18, 1921.

aim/2a P171665 v 20 Ewe/rub 7:

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ABRAHAM CHERNIAVSKY, 013 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

ATTACHMENT FOR STRINGED INSTRUMENTS.

Application filed May 24,

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it lmown that I, ABRAHAM GHERNIAV- SKY, a citizen of Russia, residingat Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles, State of California, haveinvented new and use ful Improvements in Attachments for StringedInstruments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesto stringed instruments in general; to all suchstringed instruments as violins and Violoncello which are played with abow, and such stringed instruments as a guitar or banjo or the like,played by plucking. The general object of the invention is the provisionof a finger guide, register or check applicable to such stringedinstruments and adapted to the teaching and learning of proper andaccurate finger positions for accurate intonations on such instruments.Although my invention is applicable to all such stringed instruments,for the purposes of illustrating my invention I shall describe it asapplied to a violin; but it will be understood that such description asapplied to a violin is not intended at all as a limitation upon the invention.

Accurate intonation on a violin and such stringed instruments is alwaysdifficult to a learner. It is the object of this invention to provide anattachment which may be easily applied to a violin and which, when inposition, will give the player a check for one or more finger positions.It is also an object to provide such a device as may be readily set inthe different hand positions for such stringed instruments.

WVith the foregoing general statement of my invention in mind, theinvention itself, its ob jects and its corresponding accomplishments, aswell as a specific form of the invention as applied to a violin, will bemore clearly apparent from the following detailed description of theattachment in its specific form as applied to a violin; reference forthis purpose being had to the accompanying Specification of LettersPatent.

I Patented Oct. 18, 1921. 1920. Serial No. 383,755.

Fig. 6 is a section taken as indicated by line 6-6 on Fig. 3; and Fig. 7is a section taken as indicated by line '7-7 on Fig. 3.

In the drawings the numeral 10 may designate the body of the stringedinstrument (violin in this case) and the numeral 11 may designate theneck and 12 the four strings of the instrument. In order to convenientlyattach my device to the neck of the instrument I form a sort oftroughshaped body 13 adapted to fit around the underside of the necknear the head; and a transverse bolt or other securing member as shownat 14 passes over the upper surface of the neck behind the string bridge14;; and thus the member 13 is held securely in position. A longitudinalguide member 15 extends from one side of member 13 and this guide member15 has a bearing at 16 resting upon the body of the violin. The partsare so arranged that when the bearing 16 rests upon the violin body thepart 13 is pressed up against the bottom surface of the neck and thebolt 14 rests on the upper surface; and the parts are therefore all heldpractically immovable in their proper set positions. A littleadjustability longitudinally may be provided for, as will be readilyseen from inspection of the drawings, so the guide member 15 may beadjusted slightly longitudinally of the neck and fingerboard to get itin just the proper position with reference to the finger positions onthe strings; or the device may be made accurately to size and properposition of the device may be assured by placing the bolt let directlyagainst the bridge 1 1 One side of member 13 is flared out asillustrated at 13 as a guide against which the thumb of the players handis placed. Under the member 13 there is a guide 20 in which a tongue 21is adapted to fit. The tongue 21 carries at its outer end bearings 22for a small rubber roller 23. This roller is adjustable in positionlongitudinally of the violin neck by moving the tongue 21 in and out ofguide 20; and the roller beconn' a guide and rest for the palm of thelluiul in holding the violin; the roller 23 being thus a guide acting incombination with guide or stop 13 to insure proper position of the handunder the neck of the violin. The roller 23 may be moved to suit thedifferent positions of the hand.

The longitudinal guide 15 also has, near the bearing 16, anotherextension bearing 25, whi@h extends transversely across the body. Bythis arrangement the guide 15 isheld rigidly in position and can nottwist out of its proper upright position illusi. trated in the drawings.7

The guide 15 maybe formed in anysuitable manner to provide a pluralityof openings into whichthe shanks of checks 31 may be fitted. In practiceI may. make the guide 15 by bending a piece of sheet metal into invertedchannel form (see Fig. '6) and then cutting slots across the upper edgeof the member as shown at. 32. These slots make openings into which theshanks 30 may be placed; and the slots are cut in such positions as toenable the checks to be placed in proper position to attain the objectsas herein described. These checks are of such a form as to reach overthe fingerboard 35 and over the strings 12. They may in some c'a'ses'bemade to reach over all -four of the strings and n other cases be made toreach over only one or two or three of the strings.

This is clearly illustrated in the Various checks in thejdrawings. Theshorter checks allow the'finger'to reach onto a string past their endswithout necessarily having to reach directly overthe check. The objectof the checks is to form a guide over which the finger may reach andthus be in proper position to' hold a string against the finger 7 boardfor proper intonation. In Fig. 1 the nngers are shown at F reaching overthe checks. N ow these checks will be'placed in different positions fordifferent scales 'or for different kinds of compositions or for thedifferent positions of the hand; For instance, in the simple procedureof teaching scales one or more of the checks may be used and they may beplaced in such aposition as to check the finger in its position gettinga .determinant note for the particular scale being played. It is notnecessary here to describe all oi' the various determinatlve factorswhich enter into the choice of position 7 of the checks; butit" may bestated generally that thechoice of'position otthe checker a plurality ofchecks may depend very largely upon convenience or very largely uponwhat position'of acheck or checks will give the pupil the most frequentchecking of correct positioning of the fingers for proper intonation.For instance, if a given composition returns quite frequently to somedominant or determinative pitch or tonality, the check may be placed forthat particu lar position of the finger, so that, every time thecomposition returnsto thatpar-v ticular note, the fingers of the pupilare rechecked again and again for proper position. Furthermore Iproposeto arrange compositions, and to create compositions,"

especially adapted to being played with my attachment, so as toobtainthe maximum benefit from their use for teaching and learning purposes(and, incidentally, also toa violin, not for purposes of: limiting myinvention to that particular application, but for the purpose of givingaeclear and distinct understanding of the invention. Those skilled inthe art may readily apply the device to other stringed instruments andmay make the necessary modifications and changes therefor. And, furtherthan that, I do not limit my invention to the specific so as to avoidcompositions which would arrangement and combination and 'formation ofparts herein shown and described; believing my invention'to be broad inits nature and only limited as specifically stated by thefollowingclaims.

'Having described a preferred form of my invention, I claim: V y

1. In combination with a stringed instrument, a guide extendinglongitudinally of the fingerboard, and transversely extending fingerchecks carried adjustably' on the guide.

2. In combination with astringed instrument, a guide extendinglongitudinally of the fingerboard and having openings spacedalongitslength; and a finger check having a shank adapted to fitjintosaid openings and havinga portion adapted to overhang the strings andfingerboard.

3. In combination with a stringed instrument, a guide extendinglongitudinally of.

the fingerboard, and transversely'extending finger checks carried 'onthe guide; and a thumb and palm guide for the hand in connection withthe check carrying guide.

4c. In combination with a stringed instrument, a guide extendinglongitudinally of the fingerboard, and transversely extending fingerchecks carried on the guide; and a thumb and palm guide for the hand in.connection with the check carrying guide, em-

bodying a projectionf'against which the thumb may be placed whengrasping the neck of the instrument, and a roller under the instrumentneck.

5. In combination with a stringed instrument, a guide extendinglongitudinally of the fingerboard, and transversely extending fingerchecks carrledon the, guide; and a thumb and palm guide. forthe hand incon-f nection with the checkcarrying guide, embodying a projectionagainst which the thumb may be placed when grasping the neck of theinstrument, and a roller under strument alongside its fingerboard, and athe instrument neck said roller being adtransversely extending fingercheck longijustable in longitudinal position. tudinally adjustable onthe guide.

6. An attachment for stringed instru- In Witness that I claim theforegoing I 5 ments embodying a guide, and a transversely have hereuntosubscribed my name this 14th 1-3 extenlgiing fifiger (giecklongitudinally adday of May, 1920. justa 1e on t e i e. T T 7. Anattachii ent for stringed instru- ABRAHAM HERB IAVSKX' ments embodying alongitudinal guide prolVitness: 10 vided with means for securing it tothe in- VIRGINIA BERINGER.

